


7teen: The Love Club

by Jupiter_Queen



Series: 7teen, Season 1 [4]
Category: 6teen
Genre: F/M, Gen, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 17:17:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16202078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jupiter_Queen/pseuds/Jupiter_Queen
Summary: Episode 4: A love letter that Jen stumbles upon ends up causing mass confusion throughout the mall. In the meantime, Jonesy and Nikki find themselves being even closer to one another and Sydni longs for a change in her look and in her life.





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published to Fanfiction.Net in 2012. Rewritten in 2015.

That state of love where all Nikki wanted to do was be near Jonesy and talk to him for ages continued to linger, even a week after they'd confessed their feelings to each other. It would take her a while to get used to the random butterflies she felt when they were together, but, now with their feelings exposed, she didn't mind them as much. They were pesky, but they wouldn't deter her from hanging out with him. They  _didn't_  deter her from asking him to hang out with her at the Khaki Barn, since she was closing up for the Clones and all.

He agreed to stop by and now she could only anticipate his arrival.

As soon as he arrived, her stomach did somersaults. He placed an arm around her waist and grinned. "Hey, baby."

"Well if it isn't Casanova," she said before caressing his cheek. "You wouldn't believe the day I've had."

"Tell me all about it and I'll see if I can make it better." He winked at her.

She grinned. "I just might."

As he slid his hand past Nikki's waist and closer to her rear, Sydni felt the store's temperature spike, prompting her to grab her things and take her leave. On her way out, she said, "So... I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow. Have fun, but not too much fun." She chuckled.

"Don't worry, mom," Nikki said with a snort. "We'll try our best."

Once Sydni made her exit, Jonesy pulled Nikki close again and grinned. "So, about that day you were gonna tell me about..."

* * *

Caitlin stood inside The Big Squeeze, eager to close the stand for the day after picking up her duties from Tricia. Their bet's consequences were over and Caitlin had to get on her grind again. As she wiped the blindingly yellow counters, she watched Jen slump and mope on one of the Lemon's stools.

"Doesn't Jonesy know that the mall is closing in less than twenty minutes? Why can't he meet me on time so we can just go home?" Jen groaned.  _Why do_ _we_ _have to share literally everything?_   _If only our parents could see that we_ cannot  _share a car. Then I'd be driving home right now and he'd probably be locked in the mall overnight._  The thought of him being stuck in the mall momentarily lifted her spirits. "What could he be doing that's so important?"

"Maybe he's with Nikki," Caitlin reasoned. "You know how close they've been to each other lately. Besides, there's still time before the mall closes."

She conceded. "You have a point, but I should at least remind him that I'm here waiting for him."

"While you do that, I'm gonna close the lemon for the day."

As soon as Caitlin closed her mouth, Wyatt rushed towards the Big Squeeze, in dire need of a drink. "Hey, I know you're probably closing, but do you think you can make me a lemon squishy for the road?" he asked with a sheepish grin.

Caitlin, being ever-resourceful, didn't want to turn away a friend. Wearing a friendly smile, she said, "Of course I can."

"Thanks, Cait. You're the best."

"Aw, thank you!" While blending his drink, she couldn't help but wonder what he had been up to. Over the noisy blender, she asked, "I barely saw you today. Busy at work?"

"Nope. Just needed a day to clear my head and do some songwriting," he explained, pointing to the guitar case slung over his shoulder.

While turning the blender off, pouring his drink, and placing a straw in the final product, she said, "Oh, that's nice. The squishy's on the house, by the way."

"Thanks again, Caitlin. Gotta go!" Wyatt swiped his drink off the counter and sped away.

Caitlin gave Jen a bewildered look.

Jen opted to shrug instead of saying, "Beats me." Standing up, she said, "I'm gonna go walk around for a bit until Jonesy decides to show up."

"Okay. While you do that, I'm gonna close the lemon... for real this time," Caitlin said, taking off her apron and hat.

Just like Wyatt clearing his head by working on new music, Jen too cleared her head by taking a stroll through the mall. There were no yells from Coach Halder and no annoying stepbrothers. Just some peace and quiet. She found this to be the most relaxing time of day, mainly because the all-day shoppers were leaving around this time. It took her a moment to realize that not everything was clear from her mind, due to her still having to text Jonesy.

Grabbing her cellphone, she typed,

_Jonesy, where r u?! Meet me at the mall entrance b4 closing._

* * *

As much as Jonesy adored Nikki and holding conversations with her, nothing beat a little "tonsil hockey," as he so gracefully called it. He kept kissing her in her favorite Khaki Barn stall with a smile on his face, making her sigh when he kissed and gently sucked her neck.

Interrupting his make-out time, his cellphone vibrated, though he opted to ignore it. Nikki didn't.

"You might want to answer that," she said as she pulled away from him.

"Aw, but I don't wanna," he replied, sounding like a five year-old.

Despite his protest, she crossed her arms and sent him a striking look.

He, realizing her expression meant she could make him do it the hard way, did  _not_  want that, which was why he swiftly grabbed his phone. He read the text from Jen aloud, then dismissed it. "Jen can wait." He leaned over to steal another kiss from Nikki, but she pressed her index finger against his lips, denying him.

"Go meet up with Jen," she insisted.

"What about us?"

"You and I can go out for lunch tomorrow. Just go home so you won't piss Jen off."

"Okay." He leaned over to peck her on the cheek before leaving. "Love you, babe."

"Love you too," she said as she watched him leave. Those butterflies in the pit of her stomach fluttered like hell.

* * *

Jen sighed when Jonesy replied,

_Fine. Be there in a few._

With that out of the way, her mind was totally at ease. As she walked around the mall for a moment longer, making her way past The Penalty Box, her sneaker crushed a flat object. She looked down to find a folded piece of paper, bending over and grabbing it.

Upon unfolding it and letting her eyes scan its words, she asked herself, "Is this a love letter?" Her blue eyes gaped at the very last sentence—" _You and I should meet up tomorrow at 5:00 in the back service hallways so we can talk a little more; I would really enjoy that…"_

The letter was well-written, making her feel quite special. Arguably, as special as Nick made her felt.

"Wait a second," she said, her eyes widening. The letter was outside the Penalty Box—maybe Jen didn't notice it before clocking out for the day. Maybe it was for her. Maybe if was from  _Nick_.

_I've gotta find Caitlin! She'll know,_  she thought while running in the direction of the food court.

* * *

Caitlin placed a hand on her chin, intrigued. "This is definitely a love letter."

"I know  _that,_ but I think it's from Nick," Jen said.

Her blank expression asked, "How so?"

"I found it outside the Penalty Box. I think it was there for me when I left my shift—I just didn't see it at first. Plus, he's super poetic; he told me how he does spoken word at Grind Me sometimes and he even won a talent contest at his school by reciting something he wrote."

Now Caitlin understood why Jen so heavily suggested that it could be from him. "Aw, love letters are so romantic, but why would he want to meet you in the back-service hallways?"

Jen replied, "I have no clue, but I still want to go."

"Oh, I don't blame you," Caitlin giggled.

"Maybe he wants to officially make me his girlfriend!" she said, exchanging squeals with Caitlin.

While the girls were busy gossiping, Jonesy finally made his way to the mall entrance just a few minutes before the mall was supposed to close. He shook his head in mock disappointment.

"Jen, Jen, Jenny-Jen-Jen." He rolled his eyes. "She's always mad at me for not being on time, but look where she is now. So hypocritical."


	2. Every Little Word

"I can't wait to find out what Nick might have planned for you, Jen."

Before her noon shift at the Penalty Box began, Jen strolled around the mall and chatted on the phone with Caitlin, who was enamored by the idea of an admirer.

"Caitlin, I still don't know if Nick is even the guy who wrote the note."

"But yesterday you thought he  _was_  the guy."

"I still do, but I also don't."

"Jen, if he's the one that wrote the note, then he likes you  _a lot_. Don't be nervous."

She sighed. "Easier said than done." Yet, taking the love letter out of her pocket and grinning as she took a glance at it, she didn't deflate entirely. "But you're right." I shouldn't be so worried."

Continuing her phone conversation with Caitlin, she walked past El Sporto's, where Jonesy and Nikki had agreed to go for their lunch date.

Sitting on the opposite side of the booth and finishing the last of her nachos, Nikki said, "I'm so glad you showed up when you did. You rescued me from another day Clone hell." Taking a pregnant pause, it dawned on her that after the bill for their lunch was paid, she would still be stuck at work. "Dammit. I have to go back there."

He drank the last of his soda before saying, "Don't worry, babe; I got your back."

She chuckled and called him, "My knight in shining armor."

The ever-grouchy El Sporto waitress, dressed like a roller-derby skater, rolled to the booth they occupied and placed their bill on the table. Before Nikki could even grab her wallet, Jonesy reached for his instead.

Were Nikki Wong's eyes deceiving her? Was Jonesy Garcia  _actually_  paying for their lunch date? Either way, she actually found it quite flattering.

Bringing this up to him, she mentioned, "You do realize that you paid for everything."

As they stood up and prepared to leave, he replied, "I wanted to do something nice for the girl I love, y'know? It wouldn't be fair if I left  _you_  paying for  _our_ date." Nikki eyed him for a moment, causing him to admit, "And I kinda got fired before our date, but I still got my last paycheck."

" _There's_  the guy I know and love," she said. Realizing they had walked closer to each other while talking, Nikki looked up at him and said, "So, Prince Charming, are you gonna be my escort back to the Crappy Barn?"

* * *

Talking long walks through the mall were Jen's specialty, her method of calming down and rationally thinking things over. After ending her phone call with Caitlin, her mind wandered towards Nick and the love-note situation. He was a terrific guy and, loving the dates she'd been on with him, she felt a strong connection to him.

If her suspicions about him asking her to be his girlfriend were right, maybe meeting in the back-service hallways veiled something bigger. Nick would surprise her with roses and take her out to dinner, formally asking her to go steady with him. She squealed before promptly telling herself to calm the hell down.

Trying not to get herself too excited again, she took a deep breath while walking past Albatross and Finch.

Like most of their days at A&F, Alejandro and Justin stood outside of the store flashing their radiant, 400-lux smiles—at least until they found something. Alejandro's attention diverted to the floor, a folded sheet of paper catching his eye. After picking it up, he read it to himself.

Peeping over Alejandro's shoulder, Justin asked, "Is that what it looks like?"

"I think so," he replied. His mind was baffled; it couldn't be  _Heather_. She didn't possess the heart to write something like this. "Who would write me this?"

Justin supplied the answer. "What about that girl you flirted with the other day? You know: Sarah, Cynthia, or whatever her name was?"

"Sydni? That was only one time."

"Cut the crap, dude.  _You like her._ "

"What makes you think that?"

"For one, you actually bothered to remember her name."

"So? At least I remember other people's names and not a mirror's."

"Hey!" he exclaimed while grabbing his precious mirror. "Reflecta has feelings, too."

Alejandro rolled his eyes before saying, "Back on topic, what if she really wrote that note?"

Justin said, "I don't know for sure, but you'll see at five o'clock."

Alejandro, despite not being a stranger to secret admirers—too many girls to count flocked towards him—couldn't hide his curiosity about this one in particular…

* * *

"Ugh, don't leave me here alone," Nikki said as she turned to Jonesy, standing outside the Khaki Barn.

"I'm afraid I have to, babe. Gotta find my next gig. Plus, you won't be completely alone. Sydni's there, right?"

She gripped his hand tighter as they walked inside. "You're right. Still wouldn't mind having someone else to distract me, though."

"Maybe this'll help distract you," he said as he leaned into a kiss full of sparks, holding her hips.

"Nikki, can you  _not_  make out with your boyfriend here?" Kristen asked.

"Yeah," Kirsten said, "you're gonna, like, make the customers uncomfortable and leave."

Nikki broke the kiss and turned around. She smirked. "Too bad I like totally don't give a shit, right?"

The Clones walked off with offended looks.

Turning towards her boyfriend, she said, "I know to drive idiots away."

"Nice," Jonesy said.

"Thanks." She stood on her tiptoes to give him one last peck on the lips, with him holding her close as she did so. Once the kiss was over, they said their goodbyes to each other and Nikki walked behind the checkout counter in order to "resume her work," which was code for standing there and doing nothing.

Sydni, standing there as well, noted, "You don't even look like you wanna be away from him."

Nikki eyed her for a solid moment until she confessed, "I don't. I just really connect with that asshole."

Sydni, after sharing a chuckle with Nikki, said, "That's great, honestly." She sighed. "Love can be such an amazing feeling."

Nikki detected the wistful tone in her voice, but instead of drawing any unnecessary attention to it, she said, "I never thought it could be, but it is. Jonesy and I—we've got something." After pausing, she allowed herself to be sincere for a moment. "The only bad thing I've been thinking about through all of this is what if we lose that something? What if we fall out of love? Will I lose one of my best friends?" She chuckled. "Look at me: I've got a good thing going for myself and I'm still seeing the glass half-empty. That's the cynic in me, alive and kicking."

"No, that's you having doubts, which everyone has. I know I did in my old relationship. Maybe you should run your concerns by Jonesy and I'm sure he'll understand, you know?"

"That's true. I just want to make sure we keep this good thing going."

As they fell into a comfortable silence, Sydni played a conversation in her head over and over again before she felt the urge to ask for long-overdue advice. Tugging at a couple locks of her brown and copper hair, she asked, "What do you think I should do with my hair? I've been thinking since I moved that maybe it's time for a change."

Though thrown off by the topic shift, Nikki responded, "You should do whatever you think works, but if you really want in-depth advice on that sort of thing, talk to Caitlin. She's the 'beauty expert,'" placing air quotes around the last two words.

Sydni let her hair fall to its original place. "I'll definitely go talk to her. Thanks for the advice."

Finally falling back into a comfortable silence—with Sydni easing into the fact that they didn't need to fill every moment with words and Nikki already understanding this concept—they were at peace until Sierra burst into the Khaki Barn.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my—"

Nikki grimaced. "Not. Another. Word."

"I'm not here to talk to you, Nikki. I'm here to talk to Sydni."

"It better be quick," Nikki muttered.

Sydni froze at the mention of her name, especially because she'd only spoken to Sierra for as long as two seconds on the tour Caitlin gave her. "What's up?" she asked as calmly as she possibly could.

"You know why I'm here," Sierra said.

Confused, she blinked once. "I'm so lost right now."

"Everyone's talking about that love letter you sent to Alejandro!"

"What letter? I never sent anything to him!" she insisted. "I'm not even into him like that!" A voice in her head nagged that she was lying to herself, but she quickly dismissed it.

"So you  _didn't_  give him the letter?" Sierra asked as she gathered the facts.

She continued to keep her guard up. "I didn't even know there  _was_  a letter! And if I was into a guy, I wouldn't write one to him!"

"So if you  _didn't_  write it, I wonder who  _did_. I need to do some more digging." With that thought, Sierra made her exit, much to Nikki's delight.

But when Sierra left, Sydni was left bewildered.

_Even if I_ do  _write, I'd never write a love letter_ , she thought.

Ejecting her from her thoughts, both her and Nikki's phones vibrated. Upon checking them, they found that Caitlin had sent a group text to Sydni, Nikki, and Jen.

It read,

_Guys, I think there's something wrong. Come 2 TBS ASAP!_

"Does the drama ever end?" Nikki asked Sydni.

 


	3. Be a Part of the Love Club

"…Nikki's just amazing, man. She's a really dope girlfriend," Jonesy said, concluding his relationship rambling at the game shop.

"If somebody told me a few years ago that Nikki'd be the girl to tie Jonesy down, I probably would have laughed," Wyatt joked. "Wow."

"I know right?" Jude laughed as well. "Dude, she's got ya whipped," he said while Wyatt made the whip sound.

Jonesy goofily grinned. "Say what you want, but I'm in love with her." The look on his face became less goofy and more inquisitive when asking, "So, you guys got anything interesting going on?"

Jude shrugged, offering, "I got a date with Starr at the skate park tonight."

With Jude and Jonesy's eyes now glued on Wyatt, his throat constricted. This was the chance he needed to take in order to further shake the gang off his trail; he had no clue that the gang had tracked him down a week or so ago, but he knew their suspicions would inevitably rise if he kept blowing them off without an honest explanation. So, feeling like getting something off his chest and the gang out of his business, he spilled, "I've got a secret admirer."

Jonesy's suspicious eyes appeared more joyous. "Awesome, bro. Maybe if you're really lucky, she's a hottie."

"Oh, she is," Wyatt mumbled. Speaking clearly to Jonesy and Jude, he said, "I even got a note from her." He reached into his guitar case, his hand moving all around in search of it, but he found nothing at all. "That's weird. I know it was in here yes… terday." His speech came to a halt when he realized the note was lost. His mind raced through the disastrous possibilities and hellish outcomes the note would cause if it was found, which was why he had to go searching for it. "Oh, no! I've gotta find that note!"

Before Jonesy and Jude knew it, he was gone.

"You think we should help him?" Jude asked.

Jonesy snickered. "Nah, I wanna see what kind of hell this'll raise."

"Cool."

After sharing a good laugh, both of them left to follow Wyatt.

* * *

After rushing to the Lemon upon receiving Caitlin's emergency text, Nikki and Sydni found Jen waiting for them.

"Jen, isn't Coach Halder gonna yell your head off if you're not at work?" Nikki asked.

"He's not  _at_  work right now, thank God. He said that he's coming around the time my shift ends."

"Nice."

"Focus, people! We have a social emergency!" Caitlin interjected.

"What exactly  _is_  this social emergency?" Nikki asked, hoping she wouldn't regret doing so.

Whipping her head in Jen's direction, Caitlin warned, "Jen, I think you might have lost that letter you found yesterday." Located in a key part of the food court, the Lemon was a valuable gossip hub, and in the past hour she'd eavesdropped on quite a few conversations involving a letter being passed around. That's when she knew. "It  _has_  to be yours."

Nikki and Sydni wore inquisitive looks while Jen remained skeptical.

"A letter?" both Nikki and Sydni asked while looking at each other.

"That's ridiculous," Jen stated. "I  _know_  I put the letter in my pocket earlier." Her hand delved into her skirt's right pocket, digging and searching and ultimately finding nothing. She quickly searched her other pocket. Nothing. Slapping her palms on her head, she shouted, "Oh, no! I  _did_  lose it!" She groaned. "How could I?"

"That must be the letter Sierra approached me about," Sydni said.

Though Sierra was always one for gossip—just like Caitlin—she couldn't wrap her head around why she'd come to Sydni. "Why'd Sierra ask you about it?"

"She thought I wrote it for Alejandro because apparently  _he_  found it."

Though she heard her response, Caitlin squealed, "I knew you liked him!"

"I never said I liked him!" Her heart was playing defense, but her head said otherwise, nagging that maybe she  _did_  feel something for him.

"I still think you  _do_ "—Caitlin smirked—"but whatever you say."

While Sydni's cheeks flushed rose-pink, the boys approached the gang's table, locked in conversation.

"It's hopeless, guys. I'm never gonna get that letter back," Wyatt groaned.

Any exchange of words among the girls came to a halt.

"The letter everyone's talking about is  _yours_?!" Jen shouted.

Cowering at the volume of her words, Wyatt sheepishly nodded. "I'm afraid it is. I got it yesterday and put it in my guitar case." He sighed. "I guess I left it unzipped, because when I looked for it earlier, it was just  _gone_."

"That explains why I found it on my walk yesterday," she said, significantly calmer yet still on-edge—a living contradiction. "I read it and I thought it was from Nick. Looks like I thought wrong."

While Jen sulked as her predictions proved false, Wyatt slammed his head down on the table. Though his voice was muffled, he complained, "Too many people know about the letter now. I don't think there's a way to get it back."

Sydni, sitting on one of the Lemon's stools, hoped that in her deep thought she stumbled upon a solution to Wyatt's (and Jen's) dilemma. Her lips curved into a small smile. "Maybe there  _is_ a way. It doesn't involve getting the letter back, but it  _does_  involve getting no one to show up to see that admirer except for you."

The others looked on curiously, as did Wyatt when he lifted his head off the table. He only asked one thing: "How?"

"I think we should find the people around here who gossip the most—honestly anybody—and talk about how the letter is really yours. The catch is that we tell them not to tell anyone, because if there's anything people love doing, it's things that they shouldn't do."

"Reverse psychology. Classic," Nikki commented.

"That"—Wyatt paused—"just might be crazy enough to work."

Her spirits less dampened, Jen said, "It's as good a plan as any. Count me in."

Sydni grinned broader. "Aw, thanks."

Standing up, Jonesy said, "Then it's settled— _Operation: Let's See If This Crap Works_  is in effect. Let's go!"


	4. In the Valley

As she always did when nervous, impatient, or hoping hard for something, Sydni twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I really hope this works out."

Nikki, being an expert at bailing her friends out of tricky bullshit, remained collected. "Trust me, it will. Even if it doesn't, it's not the end of the world."

After their brief conversation, Lindsay and Beth walked into the Khaki Barn, looking forward to buying the "must-have items of the summer," according to  _Teen Pulse Magazine_. Once they found the clothes that they wanted, Lindsay strutted to the cash register while Beth scuffled her way there. Nikki and Sydni looked at each other, then at the girls, seeing the perfect opportunity to reverse the rumors.

"Did you ever find out who that letter's from?" Beth asked Lindsay, lisping in the process.

"Not yet." Giggling, she said, "Maybe it's from that majorly cute guy, Tiger."

"But Lindsay, that's Tyler—you're already dating him, remember?"

"Oh, yeah! So then who's the letter for?"

In a mocking valley-girl voice, Nikki entered the conversation. "Um, I'm guessing you guys haven't heard and stuff, but the letter's really for my friend Wyatt."

The girls' interest peaked, they asked, "Really?"

Nikki scoffed, "Like  _totally_. I heard Wyatt has one of  _the_  hottest seniors from our rival school crushing on him. She wants to like totally meet up with him."

"Which school?" Lindsay asked.

"Lakehurst High," Sydni said, following Nikki's white-girl-from-Beverly-Hills charade. Even if Lindsay would have completely bought a fake school name, she was grateful she'd looked at a list of high schools around Toronto. "But the only thing you  _cannot_  do at all costs is tell anybody. It's supposed to be a  _majorly_  huge secret."

"Oh my gosh! I won't tell anybody—I  _promise_!" Lindsay exclaimed before grabbing her shopping bag and leaving with Beth. When she thought they were out of view, however, she took out her cell phone, calling and texting almost everyone she knew about Wyatt's admirer. "You'll never guess what I heard!" she told someone on the other line as she walked off with Beth.

Back in the Khaki barn, Nikki and Sydni gave each other high fives.

Nikki laughed and, in her valley-girl voice, said, "Wyatt  _so_  owes us for this."

"Totally!"

* * *

Having already played her part in the love-letter damage control, Jen took it easy—as easy as she could take it until Nick showed up. He walked into the Penalty Box, minus his vertical-striped jersey because he was  _supposed_  to have the day off.

Sprinting in his direction, she asked, "Nick, what are you doing here? Aren't you off today?"

"Yeah, but I left something here. Plus, I get an excuse to see you." He proceeded to take her hand.

Jen grinned before a thought occurred.  _Didn't he just say he left something? Is it— No, it couldn't be._  Even though she knew the letter she found wasn't from him nor for her, she still wanted to hold faith that he had  _something_  for her. "Did you leave anything special behind? Like a letter or something?"

"Are you talking about that letter going around the mall? It's pretty crazy, isn't it?"

She avoided his eyes, staring at her shoes as her words trailed off. "Yeah… Totally crazy."

"Is everything okay with you, Jen? You seem down about something."

"I'm fine. Well, not really." She looked to his cool green eyes for comfort as her lips blurted the truth. "I found that letter yesterday after work and I thought it was from you, but I found out it's really for my friend Wyatt. I only thought it was you because you're just so poetic and sweet and I thought you were gonna ask me to be your girlfriend, but I never would have said anything about it if I had know you—"

Nick laughed, much to her confusion. While finding her rambling quite dorky but completely cute, he too wanted to get something off his chest. "I know it's not as romantic as telling you in a letter, but I  _do_  want you to be my girlfriend."

Though she suffered a drought of words on the outside, on the inside all she could shout was,  _He wants me to be his_ girlfriend _!_  She impulsively pulled him into a hug. If this moment could last all day, it would be perfect.

"MASTERSON!"

At least, it was perfect while it lasted.

Jen let go of Nick. Turning around, she found a red-faced Coach Halder. A rush of guilt coursing through her veins, she asked, "Weren't you supposed to be showing up later, Coach?"

"Yes, but then I decided that I didn't want to dilly-dally in my Penalty Box duties." His eyebrows furrowed. "Now I see that I made the right decision." He then yelled, "Fifteen minutes in the box, both of you!"

Jen slumped her shoulders, sighing, "Yes, Coach."

She made her way to the penalty box and slumped into her seat. Just another day of being yelled at by her stubborn, hot-headed boss who lacked an inside voice. In the midst of her grumbling, she felt someone take her hand and she blushed. Realizing that Nick was in there with her made her mood instantly lighten. She looked at him and smiled, with him doing the same in return.

The moment still lasted, and it was perfectly imperfect.

* * *

When Sydni came back to the Lemon, having finished her work day, she found Caitlin glued to her phone.

"Hey, Caitlin. How's the counter-rumor going for you?"

Her eyes didn't move from the screen. "It's going  _great_. The best part is that I don't even have to do that much!"

"How so?" Before Caitlin reply, Sydni's phone vibrated. Pulling it out of her pocket, she noticed a text from Caitlin herself. "Mass text?"

Caitlin nodded. "Totally."

"Smart," Sydni said before remembering what she wanted to truly discuss with her. "So I kinda have something to ask you."

"Sure, what is it?" she asked, putting her phone away.

"I really want to know what to do with my hair. I want to change my look a bit, so I asked Nikki what should I do, but she said to come to you."

Caitlin fell silent while rummaging through suggestions. A lightbulb practically appeared over her head when she said, "You can come with me to my fave salon! I was gonna get my hair done later anyways, so you can join me!" she suggested, her voice full of zest.

"I've got nothing going on later, so that'd be great," Sydni said, offering a grateful smile. Finally, an opportunity for much-needed change.

Since finding him after leaving the Crappy Barn, Nikki and Jonesy came to the food court hand-in-hand. Taking their seats—and making eyes at each other—they waited for the rest of their group with Caitlin and Sydni, since they all had agreed to hear how  _Operation: Let's See If This Crap Works_  went.

Jude and Jen came before Wyatt, who was on pins and needles. If things didn't go well, then the gang—as well as the whole mall—would not only find out who he had been sneaking off for lately, but they would also lose trust in him. He couldn't bear that happening.

Wyatt's expression begged the question, "How did things go?"

Nikki was the first to answer. "Sydni and I were able to stop things at the Crappy Barn."

"I got a mass text out," Caitlin said.

"I was able to get the new rumor out there... and I'm Nick's  _girlfriend_  now!" Jen squealed causing Caitlin to do the same.

She ran out of the Lemon to hug her friend, saying, "Yay, Jen! That's so great!"

"Awesome," Jude said.

Wyatt commended her, too. "Nice one, Jen."

Leaning back in his chair, Jonesy said, "We did good today, guys. We were able to save Wyatt's ass and Jen was lucky enough to bag a guy in the process."

Nikki corrected, "I believe it's 'we did  _well_  today,' Jonesy."

He shrugged. "Eh, whatever."

"Whatever, my ass," she said as she pushed him out his seat, quickly getting out of hers and running away afterwards. Jonesy got up and chased after her, leaving them chasing each other like children around the food court, the gang no doubt laughing at them.

The five of them heard Jonesy exclaim, "I'm gonna get you, Nikki!"

She teased, "Not if you can't catch me first!"

Getting back to serious matters, however, Wyatt said, "Thanks for saving my butt, guys. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. That's what friends are for, bro," Jude said.

That's what friends were for—helping him get away with the little white lies he'd been telling.


	5. The Art of Loving and Letting Go

Wyatt walked into the back-service hallways with his heart in his throat, praying and hoping that he'd be the only person there meeting his "mystery girl."

He turned the corner he was supposed to bend and found himself receiving a warm greeting.

"Wyatt, it's you." His girl gave him a loving look before appearing relieved. "Thank  _God_."

His eyes dilated with excitement as they met her green ones. "Yep, just me. I'm glad no one else showed up."

She approached him and gave him a kiss. "I'm glad, too." She grabbed his hand. "Sorry I gave you that letter. I thought it'd be romantic and different, but obviously it didn't go like I planned it to."

"It's fine. You didn't know and neither did I," he responded. "What matters is that we're here with each other."

"You're right, Wyatt." She smiled at him before asking, "So... when are we going to go public with our relationship? I mean, sneaking around is actually fun, but you know we can't do this forever, especially not with a close call like this."

Though agreeing that sneaking around was a fun thing, he said, "Soon, I promise. Only when we're both ready and tired of slipping away from our friends."

She seemed satisfied with his response. "Okay."

* * *

Instead of stepping inside the game shop, where the sounds of Jen's off-key singing and Jude's Rock Maniac "guitar" lived, Jonesy and Nikki opted to stand outside and catch their breath after chasing each other.

"Of all that trash-talking you did, you still couldn't catch up to me," Nikki teased.

He let his ego do the talking for him, per usual. " _Puh_ -lease! I just let you get a head start."

Shoving him, she said, "Yeah right! I beat you and you know it."

Though stumbling from her shove, he swiftly regained his balance. "Whatever, babe. You just can't handle the Jonesmeister."

"I've put up with  _Jonesy_  for twelve years; I think I can handle chasing the  _Jonesmeister_ around the mall for twenty minutes."

Jonesy, leaning against a wall outside of the game store, slumped to the ground. "Twelve years? Has it really been that long since I've known you?"

She slumped to the ground with him, the same realization hitting her. "Wow, it really  _has_  been that long." She wrapped her arms around her knees, the ghost of a grin gracing her face. "I still can't believe of all people, I ended up with you."

"It's funny—Wyatt said something like that to me earlier." He chuckled, as his mind played Wyatt's words verbatim:  _"_ _If somebody told me a few years ago that Nikki'd be the girl to tie Jonesy down, I probably would have laughed."_  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, still letting this moment sink in. "Twelve years," he mumbled.

"And hopefully twelve more if we don't kill each other," Nikki joked, causing them to both laugh their heads off. As they kept laughing, Geoff and Bridgette walked by, calling each other very cringe-worthy pet names.

Bridgette exclaimed, "Oh, I love you, schmoopy-boo."

"Love you too, Bridgy."

After cringing for a good moment—with Jonesy reminding himself to tease Geoff about this tomorrow—Jonesy and Nikki began to laugh harder.

In the midst of his laughter, Jonesy mocked, "I love you,  _Nikki-kins_."

"I love you too,  _Jonesy-Wonesy_."

Even through all the teasing and mocking, the "I love you" still felt real, giving her butterflies in her stomach. She'd found her moment.

Her laughter ceased and she fell into a more serious mood, asking, "Jonesy, can you promise me something?"

He noted the intensity in her voice and sobered up. "Sure. What is it?"

She caressed one of his hands. "Just… just promise me that no matter where this whole  _love_  thing takes us, we'll always stay friends." When it hit her how long they'd been friends, it dawned on her that the concept of love itself was so new to them. She, starting to open up to him more, didn't want to build something up with him only to get completely crushed in the end. And though these thoughts clashed with her tough-girl image, they were contradictingly hers. "I love you, but I don't want to lose you."

"I promise we'll always be friends, Nik." He gazed at her with warmth and squeezed her hand for reassurance. "I promise."

Nikki knew they would always find something to bicker about, and feelings might be hurt from time-to-time—results of them both being passionate, headstrong jackasses—but she wanted to navigate this love by his side. It wouldn't be love without him.

Jonesy didn't realize his eyes were glued to Nikki, but all it took was a few words from her to shake him from his senses.

"So are you gonna stare at me or are you gonna kiss me, stupid?"

Grinning, he swooped her into his arms and stole a kiss from her. She kissed him back with a smile on her face, becoming involved in a make-out session moments later.

However, a figure loomed over them, his shadow bringing him to the couple's attention.

Their lips parted and, looking up, they discovered always-stern Ron the Rent-a-Cop looking down at them. His eyes were sharp and his words even sharper. "You two maggots are in violation of Code 937—loitering outside of a place of business—and you're also kissing in a location open to the public."

Standing up alongside Nikki, Jonesy said, "So? If people are bothered by me and my girlfriend playing a little game of tonsil hockey—and a  _fun_  game, might I add—that's their problem."

Ron narrowed his eyes and scowled. "Are you trying to test me, Maverick?"

Jonesy cocked an eyebrow. "It depends. Who's asking?"

Not wanting to endure anymore foolishness, the rent-a-cop hissed, "I'll be watching you, punks." With that, he was gone.

"That mall cop seriously creases me," Jonesy muttered as he walked into the game store with Nikki.

"You and me both."

As soon as they entered the game shop, Caitlin greeted them. "Hey, you two!" she said while waving with her Rock Maniac drumstick in the air.

They returned the greeting and watched the gang play the music game. During another round of Jen acting as a (terrible) lead singer and Jude trying not to lose his focus on the guitar notes by chuckling at her, Wyatt strolled in. The gang stopped playing.

"So, Wyatt, any luck in meeting the girl who sent you the note?" Jen asked.

"No. I mean, she was really nice, but she wasn't my type," he lied.

Jonesy blurted, "Type? What type?" He started laughing until Jen loudly cleared her throat and Nikki elbowed him. Weakly, he said, "Never mind."

"Don't worry, Wyatt. You'll find a great girl one day," Caitlin reassured.

He merely shrugged. The old Wyatt would've questioned why no one right for him, but he was slightly different now. "And even if I don't, I'll be alright."

Jen, Caitlin, Nikki, and Jonesy didn't expect this response from him, growing suspicious once more, but kept their doubts under wrap… for now.

Caitlin, quickly setting her notions aside, giggled. "Either way, you've got us!"

"Thanks again for helping me, guys—even if things didn't go how I planned," he said.

Jen responded, "No problem, Wyatt."

Caitlin nodded. However, she looked at the time on her phone and realized she needed to get to her salon. "I think we should go now, Sydni."

Sydni agreed and walked out of the store with Caitlin.

"Bye, guys!" Caitlin said before making her final exit of the day.

* * *

"Caitlin, darling, I'm so glad to see you!"

Her favorite stylist ambushed her with a hug upon arrival. She knew she'd made the right choice when she left André, her old stylist who didn't exactly know how to handle her hair once it became longer. Now that she met Roberto at a salon not too far from the mall, life (or at least her hair) couldn't be better.

"Hi, Roberto!"

After they parted, her stylist eyed Sydni, studying her. "I see you brought someone with you."

"This is my friend Sydni. She really wants a new look, and I figured you'd know  _exactly_  what to do."

"Oh, how you flatter me, Caitlin! I'll certainly try to squeeze her in after you."

Caitlin looked ecstatic about it before her stylist led her away to get her hair washed, leaving Sydni in the waiting area. Sydni spent a half-hour looking at hairstyles in magazines before she looked up, seeing Caitlin's blonde hair full of beautiful, bouncing curls.

Sydni, being stunned by the way she looked, said, "Wow, you look amazing." Joining Caitlin on her salon visit was a good decision after all. With a little luck, maybe Sydni would look that good.

"Thanks, Sydni!"

Roberto clapped his hands rapidly, getting her attention. "Okay, Sydni. I'm gonna wash your hair and then you can tell me how you want your hair styled."

Sydni found herself whisked away to the back of the salon, where she got her hair washed. Afterwards, Roberto escorted her to a styling chair positioned in front of a mirror. Caitlin eagerly sat beside her, waiting to see the end-results even though Sydni's hair hadn't even been blow-dried yet.

"So, do you have any particular styles in mind, Sydni?" Roberto asked.

"I really want long bangs, plus I want the ends of my hair re-dyed the same color they are now. And maybe I can have a highlight running through my bangs?"

"That sounds lovely. Listen, I'm going to start blow-drying your hair, then I'll cut and color it."

Once he finished blow-drying her hair, he grabbed a pair of haircutting scissors and grouped the locks of hair that would be cut for her bangs together.

Sydni took deep breaths, looking uneasy.

Caitlin noted this, getting the feeling that it was more than a new look that Sydni wanted. Wanting this wasn't as random as she made it seem. "So how are you feeling?" she asked.

"I've been better, but I just want to look different. New home, new look, new me—right?" The nervousness written on her face was in her voice. "Time for a new me."

Caitlin placed a caring hand on her knee, offering some comforting words. "My mom tells me that when a girl cuts her hair, she's mastering the art of letting go of the past."

Having Caitlin guide her through this soothed her. "Right. Letting go of the past." She put on a brave face as she watched her past fall to the floor in dark brown and copper locks.

Even though it wasn't a lot of hair, it was enough to make a change. She already made the decision to cut it off—now it was time to let go.

Staring at the reflection before her, she began to see the makings of a new and changed person, a person with potential, a person with a new life ahead of her. It was a reasonable sacrifice.

She smiled, but it was bittersweet. "The art of loving and letting go."

 


End file.
